Introducing the Amazing Fitbit Ionic

Introducing the Amazing Fitbit Ionic. When Fitbit bought Pebble last year, the question wasn’t if the company was going to release a smartwatch, but when. It’s a smartwatch-fitness tracker hybrid with an open SDK, superb battery life, and NFC payments. Thus, making it more of a competitor to the Apple Watch.

You won’t find standalone cellular connectivity as you get in the new Apple Watch. If you are looking for a smartwatch that puts fitness first, the Ionic deserves a spot on your short list.

In its tenth year, Fitbit has decided to expand into a whole new market for the first time. We finally have the first Fitbit smartwatch, and it’s called the Ionic.

The bands are swappable, like the Apple Watch. The default band features an isometric pattern, and a combination buckle and prong enclosure. Three strap and case color combinations are available: Blue Gray and Silver, Charcoal and Graphite Gray, and Slate Blue and Burnt Orange.

The Ionic has one notable difference from previous Fitbits. If you flip it over, you’ll find an array of three LEDs—two red, one blue—in addition to the conventional green optical sensor. That’s a noteworthy change that opens the Ionic up to more medical use cases.

Currently, most trackers use green light to measure heart rate, but red light can give you a more accurate read, as well as test a host of other biometrics. For example, red light is used in pulse oximeters to measure SpO2, or blood oxygen saturation.

Comfort

Three different strap options

The Fitbit Ionic is comfortable to wear on your wrist and is unusually light. Hopefully, it should make a pleasant fit on your wrist while you’re working out.

It’s also waterproof; you can take this in the shower or even go swimming with it and not have to worry about damaging it.

The body of the watch is made of aluminum and features tiny antenna bands on the sides, and is easily the best-looking Fitbit product so far.

There’s one hardware button on the left-hand side and two more on the right that sit in similar positions to the Fitbit Blaze and help you move around the watch’s UI.

The buttons protrude slightly, and Fitbit thinks this will help you find them when you’re fumbling around for the buttons.

Leather and plastic strap options are available with secure fasteners on each, so it won’t fall off when you’re out for a jog.

As of now, there are 17 default clock faces, but this number is sure to grow. Fitbit also plans to expand its offerings later this fall with more apps.

The Ionic isn’t meant to be a standalone smartwatch. You’ll get all your customary call, text, and app notifications. However, there’s no LTE connectivity for making calls or replying to texts without your phone being nearby.

The Ionic features built-in GPS, Bluetooth, and NFC, as well as 2.5GB for music storage. It’s also capable of phone-free exercising.

And Fitbit has its pair of earphones, the Flyer, that can pair with both the watch and your smartphone at the same time.

Downloading music onto the Ionic isn’t simple. It takes some patience and a strong Wi-Fi connection, but it’s worth the effort. I could listen to my tunes while on a phone-free run in the park and pay for a coffee at Starbucks afterward without having to carry my wallet.

A single charge is estimated to last four days, or up to 10 hours while using GPS. That’s outstanding for a smartwatch—most only last for two days max.

That blows most of the competition out of the water. While the Apple Watch continues for little over a day, it seems like a fair trade-off for the lack of LTE connectivity.

Fitbit Ionic features

heart rate monitor

All the fitness features you’ve come to know on other Fitbit products are here, and there are a few upgrades too.

The Ionic features a heart rate tracker, which the company claims is even more accurate than on other Fitbits. It’s because of new algorithms and a design that means it sits much closer to the skin.

GPS is built-in too, and Fitbit believes your connection should be better because the antenna bands are placed in optimal positions to ensure a better tracking connection.

New features for running includes an automatic pause option. It should notice for example when you’ve stopped to cross at some traffic lights and break your workout, then start up immediately when you begin exercising again.

Fitbit has also included workouts in its new Fitbit Coach feature that replaces the Fitstar app. These exercises will show you exactly what to do. The aim is to help you improve. Plus, Fitbit also plans to bring audio workouts to the Ionic.

Fitbit has also included a SpO2 sensor here to monitor blood oxygen levels, but the feature won’t be available at launch.

Other features

hardware buttons

Fitbit also includes mobile payments on the Ionic through its service called, you guessed it, Fitbit Pay. It’s derived from tech from a company called Coin that Fitbit purchased a few years ago. And it will allow you to use NFC to pay on contactless terminals with your wrist.

Fitbit has partnered with Visa, American Express, and MasterCard, but you’ll need to make sure your bank is offering the service, and we’ve yet to hear which banks will be.

The Fitbit Ionic comes with 2.5GB of free space so you’ll be able to upload music. You can then connect Bluetooth headphones and listen to music on the go without having to take your phone on your run.

The Fitbit Ionic may be a helpful device for those with diabetes. If paired with a Dexcom G5 Mobile sensor (a device that costs $900), it’ll be able to display your glucose levels so you can monitor your health. It may make the Fitbit Ionic a must-have device for those with diabetes.

Apps

The Ionic comes with its own App Gallery which includes Fitbit’s services as well as third-party apps. It’s unclear which third-party options will be available, but we know at least Strava, and AccuWeather will be in the mix.

And Fitbit is opening the SDK for third-party developers. Hopefully, we’ll see other services getting involved in the Fitbit space too.

At launch, everything on the Ionic App Gallery is free, but there may be apps that cost you at some stage in the future. You’ll also be able to download new watch faces for the Fitbit Ionic from the App Gallery.

Comparisons and Conclusions

If the Apple Watch is a smartwatch first and a fitness tracker second, the Fitbit Ionic feels like a fitness tracker first and a smartwatch second.

The Ionic’s $300 price tag places it firmly in Apple Watch territory. Like Fitbit, Apple is making a case for the Series 3 to operate as a pseudo-medical device with enhanced heart rate monitoring.

Fitbit has an edge regarding battery life and its established fitness platform including sleep tracking and advanced workout breakdowns.

While the framework in the app department is promising, however, it’s a bit of a gamble if fitness isn’t your top priority.

It boils down to whether developers get on board with the Ionic’s SDK and what future partnerships Fitbit builds out its ecosystem.

Final Thoughts on the Fitbit Ionic

The Fitbit Ionic is a promising and an ambitious smartwatch. It focuses on fitness and accurate tracking, but its success will depend on the growth of its app ecosystem.

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18 Comments

Lovely said:

Thanks for the detailed introduction about Fitbit. I heard of this brand before and I know that compare to Apple Watch they are made more for Fitness and Exercise. But, I just prefer Apple Watch more because I use iPhone so I just need to connect them together and then I got all I need.

Hi Lovely, thanks for joining the conversation. Apple makes a good product no doubt about it. The Ionic is a good first step. I think in time Fitbit will make improvements to the Ionic by adding more apps to it. Keep it in mind for the future. Thanks, Robert

Amazing and detailed review! This review really helped me on reviewing the product. Fitbit Ionic looks impressive and can be quite a catch despite the price. Even though it is like that, I’m considering on buy one! Hahaha! Anyways, thanks for the amazing review.

I haven’t used the Fitbit Ionic but from your review I can see that it is worth the $269.95 placed on it. I loved it when you mentioned that it is a heart rate tracker and tracks oxygen saturation levels also. A good buy for any fitness enthusiast. I wonder if Apple is going to beat it this time.

Hello Nnaemeka, I understand that Fitbit is going to be adding new apps all the time making the Ionic an even better value. The Apple Smartwatch is not really a fitness tracker. They may expand their apps in the future but the Ionic is the only dedicated fitness tracker. Thanks for sharing, Robert

A great and thorough review Robert. I’ve been wondering when is Fitbit going to launch their own smart watch and here they are. You’re right on how it’s not as good of a smart watch as Apple’s or Samsung’s but it will definitely gain popularity among fitness and health conscious people. Anyway it’s like to know if the Ionic can also provide measurements on things such as body fat percentage, water content etc?

Hi Isaac, thanks for your comments and question. Although the Ionic doesn’t measure body fat or water content it does have an all day activity tracker that tracks steps, heart rate, distance, calories burned, floors climbed hourly activity and stationary time. Who knows what the future will bring but this is a good first step (pardon my pun).